Gas-fueled thermo-electric generator



Oct. 3, 1961 L. c. BIGGLE GAS-FUELED THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATOR Filed July 16, 1954 IN VEN TOR, LAUQE/Vqi 6 5/66LE n m7 g Cam 6 H ATTORNEYS.

3 002 554 GAS-FUELED T-HERlldO-llLECI'RIC GENERATOR Laurence C. Biggie, Altadena, Calif., assignor to General Controls (30., Glendale, Califi, a corporation of California Filed July 16, 1954, Ser. No. 443,755 2 Claims. (Cl. 158-130) This invention relates to gaseous fuel burners, which require combustion air to be mixed with the fuel in advance of its issuance from the burner.

Foreign particles suspended in ordinary uncleaned air tend to clog the air ducts leading to the burner. Undesirable burning conditions inevitably result after continued use of the burner. Frequent cleaning is required.

It is an object of the present invention to prevent or reduce the accumulation of foreign particles in the burner, thereby ensuring proper operation of the burner for a prolonged period. To accomplish this purpose, use is made of at least a part of the burner flame to incinerate the foreign particles of the air prior to its entrance into the air duct. There have been in the past some attempts to incinerate the foreign particles, but generally these attempts have been either unsuccessful or only partially effective, requiring supplemental means to eliminate the foreign particles. Incineration is made effici ent and practical by a particular arrangement of the flame and the inlet of the air duct. The flame or flames project across, with but slight clearance, the upwardly opening inlet to the air duct. This relationship is brought about by directing the operative flame horizontally, as by a deflector or by a specific arrangement of burner orifices. The burner is so arranged that the inlet can be located exceptionally close to the flame without causing the flame to be drawn into the duct inlet.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel bracket structure for mounting a pilot burner with which a simple duct forming member may cooperate.

It is another object of this invention to provide a pilot burner structure in which the igniting flame for a thermoelectric generator is arranged in such a way as efiectively to eliminate dust or foreign matter from the air before it enters the burner.

This invention possesses many otheradvantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose there are shown a few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view corresponding to a longitudinal section of a pilot burner and thermo-electric generator unit incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and corresponding to a top plan view;

FIG. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of a pilot burner generator assembly incorporating the invention diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevation similar to FIG. 3, illustrating a modified form of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, taken along the plane indicated by line 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a pilot burner into the lower end of which a jet member 11 Patented Oct. 3, 1961 ICC 7 projects. The jet member '11 appropriately connects to a fuel supply conduit (not shown).

Air is introduced into the burner 10 for mixture with the unignited gaseous fuel through an inlet port 13 adjacent the jet member 11 near the lower end of burner 10.

A duct-forming member 14 cooperates with the outer surface of the burner 10 to form a-vertical air supply passage 15, communicating with the air inlet port 13. The upper open end of the passage 15 is located adjacent the top of the burner 10.

The burner 16 has openings or orifices 12 at its upper end so located that the flame 16 from one or more of them projects across the opening at the upper end of the passage 15, the center line of the opening being transverse to the flame 16. Air in passing into the duct member 15 must pass close to or through the lower portions of the flame or flames 16. Accordingly, dust and other particles of foreign matter carried by the air are efiectively incinerated prior to their entrance into the duct. Accumulation of particles in the air duct 15 and especially adjacent the air'inlet port 13 is thereby substantially eliminated, ensuring uniform operation of the burner 10 for a prolonged period.

The burner 10 is so arranged that the inlet to the duct 15 is free from flame deflectingoverhan'g. The burner 1d entirely clears the axial projection of the duct inlet. Accordingly, the duct, opening can be located very close to the flame without causing the flame to be drawn into the duct.

A pilot generator structure 17 has an upper'cylindrical end through which heat may be transmitted in a wellunderstood manner to hot junctions of a thermo-electric structure therein. Conveniently, the pilot generator 17 cooperates with the flame 16 for this purpose.

A bracket 18, which may be provided with suitable means for fastening to a wall or support, carries both the pilot generator 17 and the pilot burner 10.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 one practical embodiment is shown. A housing 20 having upper and lower parallel walls 23 and 24 serves to support a tubular burner 21 and a generator 22. The burner 21 may. also be used as a pilot burner. It extends vertically through andbeyond the wall 24. The lower end 21a of the burner 21 passes through an aperture 25 in the lower wall 23. An intermediate portion of the pilot burner 21 is retained in a circular portion at the large end of an elongate aperture or key slot 26 in the upper Wall 24. A shoulder (not shown) formed on the burner 21 downward movement of the burner with respect to the housing.

A fuel jet structure 27 is telescopingly received in th lower end of the burner 21 and iscoupled theretoby the aid of a spring clip 8 interfitting registering transverse. slots (not shown) in thelower end 2.1a ofthe burner 21.. and the jet member 27. The spring clip 28 is normally bowed and has ends engaging the underside ofthelower. wall 23, to urge the assembled pilot burner 21.-and jet member 27 downwardly of the bracket 20. The jet. member has a lower threaded extension for connectiomto w asourceofgaseousfuel. a

The pilot generator 22, generally of cylindrical config-- uration, projects vertically throughaligned apertureson the lower and upper walls 23 and 24, said apertures being located near the left-hand ends of the walls. A spring clip 29, engaging a peripheral recess formed in the generator 22, cooperates with the upper side of the upper ports 33 are provided in that portion of the pilot burner 21 located within the housing 20.

The inlet ports 33 are located appropriately with respect to the end of the jet member 217, and open in the bottom of an annular recess 34 formed peripherally of the burner 21. An angularly movable shutter ring 35, accommodated in the recess 34, adjusts the effective size of the inlet ports 33 in a well-known manner;

A U-shaped sheet metal cover 31 cooperates with the walls 23 and 24 to define a chamber 32 about the inlet ports .33. This chamber 32 is closed, except for the left- 'hand'portion of the key slot 26. A channel-shaped ductforming member 36 cooperates with a portion of the exterior'burner surface 21 to define a vertical air passage 37 registering with and forming a continuation of the open portion of the slot 26. The flanges of the duct-forming member 36 respectively engage spaced portions of the cylindrical surface of the burner 21 and have tabs 38 welded directly thereto. This duct member 36'is removable from the bracket 29 along with the burner 21.

The passage 37 opens upwardly near the top of the pilot burner 21 at which the fuel and air mixture issues.

A deflector or hood 39, 'having'a band secured in place upon the top of the burner 21, deflects the fiame 40 substantially horizontally to project across the upper opening of the air passage 37. The deflector or hood 39 is so shaped, and the burner and upper opening of the passage so located, that the mantle of the flame 40 is spaced from the upper passage opening in an amount of the order of one-sixteenth or one-thirty-second of an inch. The flame 49 in this instance substantially completely overlies the upper end of the air passage 37 such that air enters the passage 37 with only slight clearance with respect to the flame 40. Dust and other particles suspended in the air are incinerated by the flame 4%. No screen or the like is required to keep such foreign material out of the fuel mixture. The burner 21 and its hood 39 entirely clear the axial projection of the duct inlet. Accordingly, the duct inlet can be spaced close to the flame.

The upper end of the pilot generator'22 is so located as to cooperate with the tip of the flame 40.

The housing 20 has an car 41 provided with suitable means .for fastening the housing to a support or wall.

In the .form shown in FIGS. and 6, a pilot burner and generator assembly is shown that 'is generally similar to that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,677,004, issued April 27,1954, and entitled, Thermoelectric generator and pilot burner assembly.

A bracket 50, having an upwardly extending arm adapted to be secured to a support, provides a mounting for a generally tubular pilot burner 51 and ap'ilot .generator 52. 'In the present instance, as in said above mentioned patent, a hollow auxiliary burner 53 provides a series of flames about the upper end of the pilot generator 52.

The pilot generator 52 passes transversely through the auxiliary burner '53. The annular space formed about the pilot generator '52 within the auxiliary burner (53 communicates with .a hollow extension 54. The hollow extention 54 is carried by and intersects the passage formedin the pilot burner 51. A deflector (not shown) withinthe extension 54 directs .a portion ofthe fuel mixture toward the annular space.

A series of substantially equiangularly spaced slots '55 are provided about the upper opening of the auxiliary burner '53, through which the pilot generator 52 passes. These slots provide orifices for the issuance of the fuel mixture. When ignited, a series of flames 58 project "latorally and upwardly about the pilot generator 52.

To ignite fuel issuing from the slots 55, there is provided an appropriately directed slit 56 intersecting the diametrically disposed orifices 57 at the top of the pilot burner 51. On igniting the pilotburner, the flame travels down the slit 56 to ignite the fuel issuing from the adjacent slits 55 of the auxiliary burner 54.

the flames :58. Dust and other particles otherwise enter- In the present instance, use is made of some of the flames 58 issuing from the auxiliary burner 54 for the purpose of incinerating the particles carried by the air prior to its admixture with the gaseous fuel.

The pilot burner 51 projects through an aperture 62 in the bracket 59. A spring clip 63, as in the previous for-m, maintains the jet member 27 in assembled relationship with the burner 51 and also urges the pilot burner downwardly against the bracket 50. A top plate or wall 64 is spaced above the lower arm of the bracket 50, and has a circular aperture closely accommodating the pilot burner 51. An end plate 65 extends between the right hand ends of the top plate 64 and bracket 50.

The generator 52 projects vertically through another aperture in the bracket 50, and is suitably supPQrted against separation therefrom. The generator 52 is also retained in the arcuate left-hand end of the top wall 64, the arc fitting the cylindrical periphery of the generator 52.

As in the previous form, a chamber .60 is formed about the air inlet ports 61 for the pilot burner 51. For this purpose a sheet metal plate 59 having a curved end portion 59a, and a Wall 67 together form a U-shaped cover complementing the bracket members 50, 64, 65 to form a housing defining the chamber 60, the plate 59 and wall 67 being 'located on opposite sides of the bracket structure, and the curved end 59a of the plate 59 extending with clearance about the pilot generator '52. Tabs 71 formed onthe plate 59 and wall 57 engage the top wall 64 and bracket 50 properly to locate the cover.

The top wall 64 terminates short of the curved end 59:: of the cover plate 59, providing an opening into the chamber '60 bounded by the generator 52 and the curved end 59a. The curved end of the plate 59 is upwardly extended as at 59b to form with the adjacent outer surface of the generator '52 a vertical passage or duct 70 communicating with the chamber 6%. Theextension 5% has inwardly turned opposing flanges 68 and 69 abutting spaced portions of the generator 52, the flanges .being so formed attheir upper ends as to interfit the auxiliary burner 53. The lower edges of these flanges 68 and 69 rest upon the left-hand portions of the top wall 64.

The extension 59b terminates adjacent the auxiliary burner openings. A series of adjacent flames 58 project across the upper passage opening, the slits 55 being so formed that the lowermost portions oi the flame mantles have only slight clearance with the edge of the extension 5% as in the previous form. Air, in entering the passage or duct 79, must pass between or through the flames, which are closely spaced, or beneath the mantle of one of ing the passage or duct 70 are effectively incinerated. The auxiliary burner 53 entirely clears the axial projection .of the duct inlet. Accordingly, the duct inlet can bespaced close to the flame.

The inventor claims:

1. In a pilot burner and pilot generator structure wherein the pilot burner and generator are .both supported by a generally -U-shaped bracket, :the generator and pilot burner .extending transversely of the arms of the bracket, the burner having an air inlet port located within the bracket, and an auxiliary burner structure having a series -.of openings about the pilot generator, a portion at least .ofsaid openings being directed laterally and fedby the pilot burner for creating a series .of later-. ally directed 'fiames about the operative end .of the pilot generator, atleast some of the fiame'projectingin adirection having a substantial component laterally of the generator, the combination with said structure of a preformed generally U -shaped housing member complementing the bracketato form achamber, said member having an extension forming with the pilot generator a duct deading to said chamber, the end opening ofsaid duct being located immediately beneath some of said laterally directed openings, whereby said flames act as an incinerator for air entering said opening.

2. In a pilot burner and pilot generator structure, comprising a generally U-shaped bracket having spaced walls; a generator member and a burner member both extending transversely of the walls and supported thereby, the burner member having an air inlet port located intermediate the bracket walls, there being provisions for causing a flame to play on the generator member; the combination with said structure of housing means complementing the U-shaped bracket to form with the bracket a chamber surrounding said air inlet; and channel-shaped means having edges engaging one of the members to form a duct communicating with the chamber at one end, the ductforming means providing an opening at the opposite end, the center line of which projects transversely to said flame provision means, the duct being so located that the flame projects from one side of the duct opening beyond the other side with slight clearance with respect to the opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

